Sarah Liese

Federal court upholds decision to ban youth access to gender-affirming care in Oklahoma A federal appeals court has upheld an Oklahoma law prohibiting minors from accessing gender-affirming care, reinforcing a growing trend of legal support for such bans across the country.

A federal appeals court has upheld an Oklahoma law prohibiting minors from accessing gender-affirming treatments, reinforcing a growing trend of legal support for such bans across the country.

www.kosu.org/health/2025-...

Tribal nation sounds alarm over potential legislation hindering its economic, trust land rights The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians is sounding the alarm over a draft of Congressional language.

BREAKING: The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians is sounding the alarm over a draft of Congressional language.

UKB leaders say the language would terminate the tribe’s right to trust land as well as its basic economic development rights.

www.kosu.org/news/2025-08...

Oklahoma tax case could affect tribes nationwide if brought to Supreme Court Alicia Stroble sat before the Oklahoma Supreme Court more than a year ago, surrounded by tribal attorneys and backed by the state’s five major tribes.

As a citizen and employee of the Muscogee Nation who lives on its reservation, Alicia Stroble believed she was exempt from Oklahoma's income tax.

But the state's Supreme Court ruled against her. The case could alter tribal sovereignty post-McGirt.

www.kosu.org/local-news/2...

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma officials stand in solidarity with Florida tribal nations against 'Alligator Alcatraz' Seminole Nation of Oklahoma leaders are joining hands with Indigenous leaders in Florida, uniting against an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades because it is located on ancestral hom...

A new migrant detention center in Florida coined "Alligator Alcatraz" sits on historic Indigenous land.

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is joining forces with two tribes in Florida to fight the construction.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

⚡️The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA championship, and fans celebrated loudly in downtown OKC. A parade celebrating the historic victory is set for Tuesday morning. #thunderup

📸: @kosuradio.bsky.social

Westwin Elements' dream for America and swirling questions of tribal sovereignty, health in Oklahoma A nickel refinery in Lawton, hoping to help solve America’s critical minerals crisis, has been the center of debate. After facing pushback from three local tribes, questions loom over the strength of ...

A nickel refinery in Lawton, Oklahoma, hoping to help solve America’s critical minerals crisis, has spurred questions over the strength of Indigenous sovereignty.

KOSU's @smliese.bsky.social dives into the debate.

www.kosu.org/energy-envir...

deadCenter Film Festival kicks off this week, highlighting growing Indigenous representation in entertainment industry Indigenous representation continues its momentum in the entertainment industry, and the 25th annual deadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City has a lineup of films to show for it.

Indigenous representation continues its momentum in the entertainment industry, and the 25th deadCenter Film Festival has a lineup of films to show it.

KOSU's @smliese.bsky.social spoke with @joeytainment.bsky.social about his short film "Pow!" ahead of the event.

www.kosu.org/arts-culture...

Oklahoma tribal nation sues U.S. government over federal Indian boarding schools The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, headquartered in Anadarko, and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California filed a legal complaint last week to hold the United States accountable for the federal Indi...

The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, headquartered in Anadarko, and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California filed a legal complaint last week to hold the United States accountable for the federal Indian boarding school system and its policies.

www.kosu.org/news/2025-05...

More than 4,100 Oklahomans have yet to claim Native American settlement awards Heirs of over 17,000 deceased Individual Indian Money account holders have until June 30 to claim compensation.

Heirs of over 17,000 deceased Individual Indian Money account holders have until June 30 to claim compensation.

www.kosu.org/local-news/2...

Indian boarding school preservation efforts halted after Trump administration cuts funding The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, known as NABS, is losing critical grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities due to cuts made by the Trump administrat...

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, known as NABS, is losing critical grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities due to cuts made by the Trump administration.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

Review: 'Medicine River' reckons with the legacy of Indian boarding schools — through a daughter's eyes In "Medicine River," Mary Annette Pember grapples with the harrowing legacy of boarding schools for Native Americans and the trauma they inflicted on her own family.

'Medicine River' reckons with the legacy of Indian boarding schools — through a daughter's eyes

Man behind Oklahoma's 'McGirt' case will face new jury trial this summer Jimcy McGirt, the man behind the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma U.S. Supreme Court case, which reaffirmed the sovereignty of several Oklahoma tribes, will face a jury in the Eastern District Court of Okl...

Jimcy McGirt, the man behind the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma U.S. Supreme Court case, which reaffirmed the sovereignty of several Oklahoma tribes, will face a jury in the Eastern District Court of Oklahoma under felony charges.

www.kosu.org/local-news/2...

Language lives on for tribes in Oklahoma despite determined erasure attempts More than a century after U.S. Indian boarding schools attempted to erase Indigenous cultures and languages, tribal nations in Oklahoma are working to reclaim and teach their languages to the youth.

More than a century after U.S. Indian boarding schools attempted to erase Indigenous cultures and languages, tribal nations in Oklahoma are working to reclaim and teach their languages to the youth.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

Muscogee Nation tobacco compact putting Oklahoma, tribal leaders at odds Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is lobbing accusations at the Muscogee Nation, saying the tribe and others worked together to kill Senate Bill 675, which died in committee on Wednesday.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is lobbing accusations at the Muscogee Nation, saying the tribe and others worked together to kill Senate Bill 675, which died in committee on Wednesday.

Tribal organizations shine light on federal Indian boarding schools and Tribal sovereignty in education - Native American Rights Fund The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board and a Catholic charter school cite federal Indian Boarding schools as an example of federal funding of religious education without acknowledging that the…

In a case now before SCOTUS, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board and a Catholic charter school cited to federal Indian boarding schools without any historical context to support their argument that the U.S. has a history of funding religious education. Read:

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo discusses new book about grief, collaboration with Muscogee artist Joy Harjo, the first Native American Poet Laureate in the U.S., is releasing two illustrative books this month, centered around two universal milestones: coming of age and loss.

The first Native American Poet Laureate in the U.S., Joy Harjo, is releasing two illustrative books this month, centered around two universal milestones: coming of age and loss. Listen to her interview with KOSU's Sarah Liese.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

PSA: Though the Not Invisible Act Commission’s final report has been taken down from federal websites, it can still be accessed. The Turtle Talk blog has preserved it here >> turtletalk.blog/2025/02/13/n...

Benita Long disappeared. So why wasn't she added to this missing person database? A federally funded database helps track long-term, missing-person cases. Yet an NPR investigation finds that even in states legally required to use it, more than 2,000 people haven't been added.

A federally funded database helps track long-term, missing-person cases. Yet an NPR investigation finds that even in states legally required to use it, more than 2,000 people haven't been added.

'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away:' Historic Kiowa church to be rebuilt after Oklahoma wildfire Last week, wildfires raged across Oklahoma, claiming thousands of acres of land and hundreds of buildings. KOSU's Sarah Liese reports for StateImpact that the flames also destroyed a historic church i...

Last week, wildfires raged across Oklahoma, claiming thousands of acres of land and hundreds of buildings. KOSU's @smliese.bsky.social reports that the flames also destroyed a historic church in Kiowa County, leaving a congregation to rebuild.

www.kosu.org/show/stateim...

High winds, low humidity fuel fire danger across Oklahoma Drought and extreme winds across Oklahoma mean perfect conditions for wildfires to start and spread.

BREAKING: Drought and extreme winds across Oklahoma have resulted in more than a dozen named fires burning across the state by mid-day Friday.

This article will be updated with more information as the situation evolves.

www.kosu.org/local-news/2...

Tribal Nations have a unique political status under U.S. law, based on sovereignty, treaties, and trust obligations. This briefing paper explains the legal foundations of Tribal self-governance, the U.S. responsibility to Tribal Nations, and why these obligations are political, not race-based.

Cheyenne, Arapaho Tribes join legal fight over Bureau of Indian Education cuts Three tribal nations and five affected students are suing the Secretary of the Interior, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs and the Director of the Bureau of Indian Education over slashes to the Bu...

Three tribal nations and five affected students are suing over slashes to the Bureau of Indian Education. The Cheyenne and Arapaho of Oklahoma said they have joined this fight because they have tribal citizens at schools affected.

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Oklahoma tribes prepare to repatriate 19 relatives who walked on at Carlisle Indian Boarding School 19 Seminole, Cheyenne and Arapaho children who were subjected to assimilation at Carlisle Indian Boarding School will finally return to the earth on their homelands in the fall.

19 Seminole, Cheyenne and Arapaho children who were subjected to assimilation at Carlisle Indian Boarding School will finally return to the earth on their homelands in the fall.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has canceled two programs providing tribal governments, states, schools and food banks money to buy local food from producers.

www.kosu.org/local-news/2...

HOW TO TRIUMPH LIKE A GIRL I like the lady horses best, how they make it all look easy, like running 40 miles per hour is as fun as taking a nap, or grass. I like their lady horse swagger, after winning. Ears up, girls, ears up! But mainly, let's be honest, I like that they're ladies. As if this big dangerous animal is also a part of me, that somewhere inside the delicate skin of my body, there pumps an 8-pound female horse heart,. giant with power, heavy with blood. Don't you want to believe it? Don't you want to lift my shirt and see the huge beating genius machine that thinks, no, it knows, it's going to come in first.

Happy International Women's Day from Ada Limon

Bureau of Indian Affairs offices are undergoing unexpected layoffs and closures across Oklahoma. Amidst uncertainty, some tribes are taking matters into their own hands to find solutions for their citizens.

www.kosu.org/local-news/2...

I spoke with a BIE employee who was one of many let go in the wave of federal employee layoffs. Katie Hallum and I reported how these layoffs will impact local Indigenous communities.

Aubrey Dameron's legacy remembered at Matriarch memorial service The story of Aubrey Dameron lives on as people from across Oklahoma are taking the time to remember her.

The story of Aubrey Dameron lives on as people from across Oklahoma are taking the time to remember her. Dozens attended a memorial service for Dameron held over the weekend by the Indigenous non-profit Matriarch in Oklahoma City.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

Tribal leaders commend Secretary of Interior for their exemption from order slashing DEI programs The new Secretary of the Interior is exempting tribal nations from cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. Some tribal leaders are responding positively, noting the order acknowledges them a...

The new Secretary of the Interior is exempting tribal nations from cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. Some tribal leaders are responding positively, noting the order acknowledges them as sovereign nations.

www.kosu.org/race-culture...

Otoe-Missouria Tribe: On the front lines of climate change Climate change is causing more floods across the globe. In Oklahoma, that flooding has an outsized impact on Indigenous communities. Here's how one tribal nation is working to mitigate the threats.

In Red Rock, Oklahoma, sacred sites of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians are threatened by natural disasters. But with efforts to limit erosion and preserve traditional ecological knowledge, the tribe is working to change that.

www.kosu.org/energy-envir...